Copper State Socials

I have clients and colleagues scrambling because Instagram yet again… launched a new feature but honestly I love this one!

Instagram has now changed its legacy 1:1 ratio appearance on your profile feed to a beautiful, I’d say cinematic appearance.

What does this mean?

It really means that you should stop posting square posts… or worse… landscape posts. Instagram will not serve it as much because it’s not in its preferred size (4:5 post or 1080 px X 1350 px).

With all that being said, you don’t need to start over. However, you need to review your current feed as it is. Are there some of your favorite posts maybe cropping weird? It can happen and there’s a fix!

How to adjust my Instagram post to fit the new feed

1. Go to post
2. Click three dots at top right
3. Select ‘adjust preview’
4. Your feed preview will appear with the post you’re editing. It defaults to ‘fill’ on the bottom left (showing ‘fit’ as the alternative) which is when the photo will get cropped/zoomed in to fit the 3:4 ratio of the feed appearance.
5. Alternatively, when you click ‘fit’ at the bottom left and the photo will then zoom out and it adds a top and bottom border to your photo.
6. You then have the option to change the ‘background’ at the bottom right. The default is ‘white.’ When you click the ‘background’ button, it will display your image with a ‘black’ border.
7. Make your selection based on your brand colors.
8. Click ‘done’ at the top right.

I am personally not a fan of the border on posts. It feels very 2012 to me but I think is helpful for posts that may be cropped that are text heavy and you can’t see messaging. So I’d say go through the last six months of posts and update as needed.

Would you prefer to watch a video? I created a how to Reel on Instagram to follow along.

What should I do now?

I would suggest creating your content strategy around Instagram’s preferred content types. A carousel post in a 4:5 ratio and Reels which 9:16 ratio. Both these are doing well with the right structure and can inspire viewers to follow your business if they see you’re staying up on the trends. Nothing screams, ‘boomer’ more than a square post in my home feed. And 9/10 it is a small business where they haven’t hired someone to create their visuals.

Did you find this helpful? Share it!

I would also appreciate a follow on Instagram @copperstatesocials where I share tips, tricks and client success stories through social media management.

Cheers!
Rachel

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